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Driving force transmission mechanism, image forming apparatus equipped with such a mechanism, and process unit of such an apparatus

a transmission mechanism and driving force technology, applied in the direction of electrographic process apparatus, instruments, optics, etc., can solve the problems of degrading image quality, degrading image quality, and disturbing contact between the two systems

Inactive Publication Date: 2006-08-15
CANON KK
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a driving force transmission mechanism that ensures proper support and alignment between the driving and driven systems, regardless of any play between the male and female type portions of the coupling. This mechanism includes a driving source, a driver, a first coupling portion, a second coupling portion, and a center shaft. The first coupling portion has a polygonal shape and engages with the second coupling portion, which has a hole portion with a larger cross-sectional configuration. The center shaft penetrates both couplings. The invention also includes an image forming apparatus with a driving portion and a process unit with process means actable on the photosensitive member, which includes a first coupling portion and a hole portion engaged with a center shaft. The technical effects of the invention include improved accuracy and stability of the driving force transmission and alignment between the driving and driven systems.

Problems solved by technology

However, a coupling based driving method is inferior to a direct driving method in terms of driving force transmission accuracy; in other words, there is a concern that a coupling based driving method suffers from the problem regarding the angle at which two shafts are connected to each other by a coupling, the problem regarding how two shafts are aligned with each other by a coupling, or the like problems.
When an image forming apparatus suffers from the problems described above, an image becomes misaligned relative to a recording medium, degrading image quality.
This problem is particularly conspicuous in an image forming apparatus which forms a color image on recording medium by placing a plurality of images different in color, in layers.
The above described coupling, however, suffers from the problem that as the driven system is subjected to a force other than the force transmitted from the driving system, the contact between the two systems is disturbed.
More specifically, two shafts to which the female and male type portions of the aforementioned coupling are attached one for one are kept aligned with bach other by the contact between the two members of the coupling, and therefore, as the contact between the two members is disturbed, the two shafts become misaligned with each other, causing an image to be misaligned with the recording medium, as the image is formed.
This has been a significant problem.

Method used

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  • Driving force transmission mechanism, image forming apparatus equipped with such a mechanism, and process unit of such an apparatus
  • Driving force transmission mechanism, image forming apparatus equipped with such a mechanism, and process unit of such an apparatus
  • Driving force transmission mechanism, image forming apparatus equipped with such a mechanism, and process unit of such an apparatus

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embodiment 1

[0036]Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0037]First, the image forming apparatus in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The image forming apparatus in this embodiment is an electrophotographic color image forming apparatus, which employs an intermediary transfer belt 82. It also has yellow, magenta, cyan, and black image forming stations 1, 2, 3 and 4, which are disposed in parallel along the horizontal portion of the intermediary transfer belt 82. In the drawing, referential codes Y, M, C and K mean yellow, magenta, cyan, and black colors, correspondingly. Although the image forming station arrangement order is Y, M, C and K from the left in this embodiment, it may be different from the order in this embodiment.

[0038]The image forming stations 1–4 comprises: photoconductive drums 80Y, 80M, 80C and 80K, as image bearing members; charging apparatuses 86Y, 86M, 86C and 86K; an unshown exposing apparatus;...

embodiment 2

[0056]Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0057]In the first embodiment, the extension portion 130 of the gear shaft 13 is used as the shaft for the shaft-hole engagement. However, in this embodiment, the shaft used for the shaft-hole engagement is rendered independent from the gear shaft 13.

[0058]Referring to FIG. 4, a driving system I comprises a motor 11, a driving gear 12, a gear shaft 13, and a second coupling portion 14. The second coupling portion 14 and gear shaft 13 are connected by a connecting member 90, and the second coupling portion 14 is attached to the drum side end portion of the connecting member 90, and connecting member 90 functions as the center shaft for the second coupling portion 14. One end of the connecting member 90 is provided with a hole 92, and a collar 94, which are located at the drum side end to accurately position the second coupling member 14, whereas the other end of the connecting member...

embodiment 3

[0067]Next, referring to FIG. 5, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. A drum flange 18 is provided with a cylindrical elastic member 5 as a braking member, which is formed of rubber or the like. Referring to FIG. 6, the details of the elastic member 5 will be described. The elastic member 5 is provided with a center hole 6, which is a through hole, into which the extension portion 130 of a gear shaft 13 is engaged. The gear shaft 13 also constitutes the central shaft of the coupling. The internal diameter of the hole 6 is smaller than that of the through hole 19 of the drum flange 18, which extends in the axial direction of the drum flange 18 inclusive of the first coupling portion 10, that is, a projection in the form of a polygonal pillar; the internal diameter of the hole 6 is such that when the extension portion 130 of the gear shaft 13 is in the through hole 19, there is no play between the drum flange 18 and the extension portion 130 of the gear sha...

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Abstract

A drive transmission apparatus includes a first coupling portion having a polygonal shape; a second coupling portion having a hole portion which has a cross-sectional configuration larger than the first coupling portion, the hole portion being engageable with the first coupling portion; and a center shaft provided on the first coupling or the second coupling, the center shaft penetrating the other one of the first and second coupling.

Description

[0001]This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 978,213, filed Oct. 17, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,455, issued Dec. 7, 2004.FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART[0002]The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus equipped with a driving force transmission mechanism, and a process unit used by such an image forming apparatus.[0003]Conventionally, a driving system for driving a photoconductive drum, as an image bearing member, of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or the like comprises: a driving gear, which receives the driving force from the motor of the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, and transmits the driving force; and a gear shaft, which is coaxial with the driving gear, and rotates with the driving gear. There are two methods for driving a photoconductive drum with the use of such a driving system: a driving method which employs a driving shaft with a coupling, and a driving ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G03G15/00F16D1/10
CPCF16D1/10G03G15/757G03G21/186G03G2221/183G03G2221/1657F16D1/112
Inventor YASUMOTO, TAKESHIONO, AKIONUMAGAMI, ATSUSHIFUJIWARA, YUKIHIROMURAYAMA, KAZUNARIHOASHI, SHIGERUUENO, TAKAHITO
Owner CANON KK
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